


Best Friends

by Tamminator



Category: Boy Meets World
Genre: Internalized Homophobia, M/M, platonic but not platonic if you know what i mean, shory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2017-09-06
Packaged: 2018-12-24 13:15:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12013524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tamminator/pseuds/Tamminator
Summary: When Shawn feels like he's falling he can always count on his best friend to be there to comfort him. (Shory)





	Best Friends

**Author's Note:**

> just saying this happened at least 10 times

Shawn stared down at the test he'd gotten back from Eli and sighed defeatedly. Another F to add to his mountain of failures, and he'd actually tried this time. To be fair he'd been too busy avoiding listening to Cory pine about his recently ended relationship with Topanga to pay attention to his books (especially since he shared all his books with Cory). 

Regardless, this just continued to cement the fact that he wasn't going to succeed in life, and that started by failing at high school. The pattern was linear enough: fail high school, don't get into college, don't get a sustainable job, end up in jail or the military just to be able to get some food and shelter. “Come on, Shawnie,” he hears, snapping him out of his self deprecating spiral only to realize that he's zoned out the entire class. That wouldn't be great for his grade at all.

Cory and he walked through the halls on their way to Cory’s house, and he half-listens to his best friend drone on about the woes of being single. Shawn rolls his eyes and sighs. “You're going to be just fine, Cor,” he explains, and he knows that Cory will be. Cory would go places, get a job, find someone to love him - whether it be Topanga or not - and make something of himself. His life would have a purpose, and Shawn would be left in the dust. 

“Shawnie?” Cory calls to him, and Shawn looks up to see an expectant look on his friend’s face. He clearly had said something worthy of a response, but Shawn was too busy feeling sorry for himself to listen. Shawn blinked and took in his surroundings, surprised to see that they had made it to Cory’s backyard already. “You okay, Shawnie?” Cory asks, face crumpled in concern. 

Shawn makes to respond but isn't sure how. Would he lie to his best friend, tell Cory everything was fine when really he was falling apart at the seams? Would Cory even care when clearly the most important part of Cory’s world was Topanga; was Shawn even worth the trouble he caused anymore? He thought of all the times he'd failed, the tests he'd been unprepared for, all the people he'd disappointed, the patterns that riddled his life. He wasn't good enough for his mother, for his father, for college; it was about time that Cory outgrew him too. 

Without knowing how he’s on his knees, falling forward into Cory’s waiting arms. His head is throbbing, but he knows that tears are streaming down his cheeks. Another failure; he couldn't even be strong around Cory. Cory was wallowing over a heartbreak, and Shawn was selfishly falling apart and for what? Because he felt sorry for himself? If no one cared about him before, he shouldn't make a fuss over something that didn't matter. He tried and failed to stand up, only falling farther into Cory's embrace. “Sorry, Cor,” he tries to sound reassuring, but his voice cracks on every syllable. 

Cory holds him close and rubs his back soothingly. “It's okay, Shawnie. Whatever it is, it's okay,” Cory says softly into Shawn’s ear, and Shawn only quakes with more tears because how can Cory even try to care about someone as worthless as him? Cory holds him to his chest without question and whispers reassurances every now and then. He rocks Shawn in his arms to try to calm him, and eventually his sobs lessen to quiet sniffles and sparse hiccups. Cory goes to pull back slightly and look at him, but Shawn clings tightly to Cory’s shirt to keep him close. Cory sighs and tightens his grip around his friend to reassure him that he was still there. “It's alright, Shawn. It's going to be okay.” 

“No it's not,” Shawn mumbled into Cory’s shirt, and Cory makes a humming sound indicating he didn't hear him. Shawn pushes Cory away and turns his back on his friend, curling into himself defensively. “It's not okay, Cory, and it never will be. As long as you're around me, I'll just screw everything up, and you'll just get sick of picking up my shattered pieces.” He pauses, fists and unfists his hands to steady himself before continuing solemnly, “You should just leave me alone now so I don't mess up your life too. You have a future, Cor, and as long as I'm around I'll just bring you down.” 

Cory stares at his friend long and hard, disbelieving what his ears were hearing. He couldn't believe all these lies that were spewing from his best friend’s mouth, and he wanted to crush every single one of them into dust. Cory moved over to Shawn and wrapped his arms tightly around his friend, refusing to let go. He could feel Shawn’s breathing start to become unsteady once again and just held tighter. “The last thing I'll do is get tired of you,” he says seriously, voice low and sincere. “Shawn, I love you so much, and no matter how much either of us screws up it's going to be you and me until the end.” 

Shawn begins to sniffle and tries to pull away; he can't believe what Cory’s saying. If not even his own parents could handle him, Cory by no means would last forever. “You can't make that promise, Cor,” Shawn tells him, trying to make his friend face reality. Cory shakes his head against Shawn’s back, just holding on tighter. “It's just how life is. I mess up, and everyone else moves on and leaves me behind. I can't hold you back, Cory.” 

Cory nuzzles his neck into Shawn’s shoulder and whispers breathily, “Anything I accomplish and anything I become,” he begins, “I would never become without you in my life.” Cory kisses Shawn’s neck tenderly, sending goosebumps down his friend’s spine. Shawn’s face flushed with heat as Cory’s mouth left a trail of soft kisses down his collarbone. “You're my best friend, Shawnie,” Cory says quietly as if admitting a deep secret for the first time, and Shawn shivers at his warm breath. 

“Cory…” Shawn breathes, halfway moaning at the sensation. He certainly wasn't expecting his friend to be so sincere. He'd never felt this close to another person before, and it only seemed natural that this was happening with Cory. He couldn't picture it any other way. “Cory,” he says again, turning around to face his friend. Their foreheads lean against each other, and their breath intermingles. Shawn is wrapping his arms around Cory’s neck, and Cory is running his hand through Shawn’s hair as Shawn says, “You're my best friend, too but-” 

Cory pulls him closer and shakes his head to silent him. “No buts,” he insists, “It's you and me forever, remember? No matter what happens, we'll always be friends.” Shawn pulls him into a kiss now. It's gentle and slow, and it's one of the most sincere kisses either boy has had in their lives. It was a kiss that could only be experienced from kissing your best friend, from kissing someone that knows you inside and out, from kissing someone whose life is so interlocked with your own that the lines between one or the other blur together. 

Shawn pulls away, and their foreheads press together once more. His breathing synchronizes with Cory’s, and both boys close their eyes to gather their bearings. “You really promise we’ll be together forever?” Shawn whispers, sounding more sure of himself than he has all afternoon but still needing that little bit of reassurance. 

Cory gives him one more chaste kiss and nods against his friend. “I swear, Shawn,” he assures. 

Shawn relaxes slightly, and runs a hand through Cory’s hair as he tries to calm his fears. Cory kisses his forehead every few seconds until Shawn loosens his grip around Cory’s neck. He smiles for the first time all day and sighs contently. “You really are the best friend, Cor.” 

“I learned it all from you, buddy,” Cory reciprocates, and the boys chuckle, proud of how strong the bonds of their friendship were. 


End file.
